Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la O (49)

Located on Calle Castilla, in the Triana neighborhood, is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la O [Church of Our Lady of the “O”], designed by brothers Félix and Pedro Romero and completed in 1702 by Antonio Gil Gataón.

When you arrive at its façade, you will note that the exterior of this unassuming structure stands out with its colourful belfry, covered with locally manufactured tiles.

The church’s layout is rectangular, made up of three naves of equal height. The naves are separated by red and black marble Corinthian columns.

As you first step inside, in the chapel to the left, you’ll see a baroque sculpture of the Virgin of Our Lady of the O, created by Castillo Lastrucci in 1837. Of the Sevillian virgins, this is considered one of the most exquisite.

Walk over to the other side of the largest altar and you’ll find a group of sculptures representing Saint Anne, the Virgin Mother and Saint Joachim. These statues are the creation of Pedro Roldán, who also built the Jesus of Nazareth in 1685 located on the opposite wall. Many of the images were defaced and destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. The only one recovered was Jesus of Nazareth.

The church is home of the Brotherhood of the O, which has two “paso” floats in the Holy Week procession, the stunning Nazarene on the cross enrobed in intense purple, and the beautiful Virgin of the O lit by hundreds of candles.

Undoubtedly, given its modest appearance, this church is not going to astound you, but, that said, this is exactly the quality that we think makes it so charming.